Tractor hitch and drive means for portable concrete mixers



Aprl] 29, 1952 w, o FROHRING 2,594,904

TRACTOR HITCH AND DRIVE MEANS FOR PORTABLE CONCRETE MIXERS Filed July 1, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l,

INVENTOR WILLIAM O. FROHRING ATTORNEYS April 29, 1952 w. o. FROHRING 2,

TRACTOR HITCH AND DRIVE MEANS FOR PORTABLE CONCRETE MIXERS V Filed July 1, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR WILLIAM o. FROHRING ATTORN EYS Patented Apr. 29, 1952 STATES PATENT FFICE This invention relates to mixer attachments for farm tractors. More particularly the invention has to do with mixers such as are used for mixing cement, concrete or the like, or for treating seeds, before planting, to prevent fungus growth or with inoculant's againstbacterial growth, or for other uses.

One object of the invention is to provide improved mixing mechanism, suitable for such uses, made in unit form capable of being easily and quickly connected to standard tractor mechanism and including all means necessary for transportation of the unit from place'to place, for raising or lowering it to desirable or appropriate levels for dumping or filling, and" for actuating the mechanism to adequately mix the materials being handled.

Another object is to provide an improved mixing unit of the character described so arranged as to be capable of attachment to the usual tension and compression links, or arms of standard tractor mechanism, and also equipped:

for operation by the standard power takeoff or" such mechanism.

Another object is to provide improved mixing mechanism of the character described which is capable of both loading and unloading or dumping from the same direction, i. .e., either from the side or from the rear of the train,-accordingto design of the unit. 7

Still another object is to provide asimple, inexpensive mixing unit adapted for quick con-' nection to a tractor and by means of which the load may be taken on at one place,-mixed while in transit, and then either spot-dumped accurately, at the place of use or into a suitable receiver such as a barrow or cart;

Further objects of the invention in part are obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is'a side elevation of the rear portion of a tractor equipped with one form of my improved mixer, the' latter being shown in an elevated transporting position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to' Fig. 1, but showing the mixer in a lower position, ready for dumping;

Fig. 3a is a detail view, showing a locking pin;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1,-but showing a side dump mixing unit;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation thereof; and- I Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partlybrokenout and in section, illustrating certain parts of the tractor mechanism.

The present invention is adapted for usewith any of the standard formso'f the modern' farm 2, tractor, typified for exa-mple by the well-known Ford Ferguson tractor, by appropriate design or arrangement of its parts to fit or mate with those provided by the makers upon the tractor itseli Ffor convenience and in no sense of limitation my improved mixing attachment is shown i'nthe drawings attached to' a Ford- F'erguson tractor} I I V fIfhe mixer is made in unit form including all parts necessary for its transportation, lifting or lowering and operation by the standard p arts provided for purpose. It includes a bowl or drum to hold the materials to be mixed, 2. fr' lie for supporting it, means for attaching the frame to the tractor, and operating means fortlie' bowl capable 6f connection to the tractor Dower takeoff. v v

The unit ffaifi isifidicat ed at I i]. It is Iiiade of senate" metal bar's welded" or otherwise rigimy secured together in a rigid structure and providing a wide base to rest upon the ground. In thefiain is ffifataibly lllOliIifid llbdii a, horiztorital' axis a, YOlfd'fI, 6f enerany semicircular form, theouter ends of the arms of which have sleeveportions'o'r members l2 journalled' in the frame; In this yoke is rotatably mounted a shaft extension it from the castmet'a'l semispherical cap erased-14' of theflbowl, to'which is' fattache'd'a frustro=foonical shell l5" having its sr'nafll end opemas atj l6. Within" the cavity ofthe'bowlare thefusual'mixing plows or blades (not shown)- forming' no part'of' the present in-' venom; To further su port and drive the bowl, its cast' metal head' is providedexterna1- ly with a large ring gear IT, the teeth of which mesh with pinions" l8, one oneach side of the bowl, each pinion being mounted on a short shaft 19 extending axially through one of the sleeve members It. r r

One of these shafts; outwardly beyond the frame; isprovide d with any suitable device or operating connection-by means Of which it may be otated; dieso the bowl for mixing itscon'tents Th pinion on this shaftthu's serves not only as owlsupport; but i also as the drivm pinionthe bowl; rite the like pinion on-the opposit de rotat'es'idlyiand-serves merely'as a bowl Oneofthesleeves I'Z; outwardly'bey frame, may be provided with an arm or'ha-ndle 20; by mea s of" which the yoke; andbo'wl may be tilted" or turned to any desired positi or filling of dumping. A suitable'levef operate lockingpinflild may be" provided' t6 holfi th yokai'id bow/1 in any of its such positions; I f H rhe typical rera r'ef 'u'tonflt aetdr' shown in Fig. 6 is provided with two ldw i tn'siion links marked generally 23, from them to a fluid pressure servomotor 24, the fiow of pressure to and from which is controllable at will by the operator. The specific form of the operating and control devices forms no part of the invention and requires no description. Link 22 usually automatically actuates the controls, as to overcome abnormal plow resistance, which here is of no importance. Aside from that, this link provides upper supporting means.

Frame I is provided with bar extensions or ears 24 releasably and pivotally connected at 25 to the tension links 2| and also with a bracket and arm 26, at a higher level, releasably and pivotally connected at 21 to the compression link 22. Thus the unit frame is releasably and pivotally attached at three points to the outer ends of links on the tractor, which by their adjustment or movement produce a sort of parallel ruler motion, up and down, of the mixing unit.

Means is also provided for turning the bowl by power supplied from the tractor. The operating connections for this purpose may be of any suitable form. In Figs. 1 to 3, I show an extensible shaft 30, the two end portions of which are connected by a splined sliding joint at 3i. One shaft end is connected by a universal joint 32 to a short shaft 33 capable of releasable connection to the end of the standard power takeoff shaft 34 of the tractor, a shaft which, under operator control, may be driven at any selected speed at will. The other end of shaft 30 may directly drive shaft [9, by a suitable coupling or geared connection between them, but is shown as driving a shaft 35 by means of bevel gears 36. Shaft 35 is provided with a pulley 3'! connected by a chain or belt 38 to a pulley 39 on shaft l9.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the opening to the bowl is always presented to the rear and the bowl is both filled from and emptied toward the rear, with reference to the direction of tractor travel.

In the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the bowl is so mounted upon the frame that its opening may be presented to either side of the train. Thus it may be filled and emptied from either side, or filled from one side and emptied from the other. Otherwise this form differs from the form first described only in the drive connections from the power takeoff shaft to the first belt pulley shaft, which connections here require no bevel gears.

Operation is as follows:

The mixing unit, in either form, ordinarily is stored in the barn detached from the tractor by disconnecting the pivoted joints to the compression and tension links of the tractor. By simply connecting these joints, and also connecting the operating connections for the bowl to the power takeoff of the tractor, the unit becomes essentially a, part of the tractor, the organization then being useful for any desired purpose. For example, it may be filled with seed requiring treatment, rotation of the bowl producing thorough mixture with the seed of the treating agent.

When the unit first described, shown in Figs. 1 to 3, is employed as a cement mixer, it is backed up to the dirt pile, the unit is lowered to ground level, and the bowl is turned to present its opening at a level convenient for shoveling in the sand, cement, or other ingredients. This position is illustrated in Fig. 3. When the bowl is fully loaded, it can be turned up a little further, to prevent loss by spilling, and then the unit as a whole may be elevated, by raising the tension links of the tractor, so that the unit is above ground level. In that position, the unit may be transported to the place of use of the cement mixture. While on the way, the bowl may be turned continuously to cause or complete mixture of the batch. Arriving at the place of use, the bowl is turned down to dump the load. When the bowl opens rearwardly, the load may be dumped accurately at any desired point, such as into a post hole. However, if desired, the load may be dumped directly into forms at an unusually high level. Again, the load may be dumped into a barrel or other container where the concrete is to be used in a place out of reach of the tractor itself.

In the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the bowl may be filled from either side and dumped from either side, the bowl being rotated either while the unit is resting upon the ground, or during transportation to the place of use.

Both forms of the invention are of quite simple form and are capable of manufacture and sale at low cost. Both are strong and rugged and capable of withstanding severe punishment. The outfit is of considerable value in construction work and lends itself to a wide variety of uses.

Other advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

Mixing mechanism of the character described adapted for use with a tractor having equal length compression and tension links, each link being pivotally attached at one end to the tractor for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, and a powertake-off shaft which extends longitudinally of the tractor, comprising frame detachably and pivotally connected to the other end of each link and adapted to rest upon the ground or to be lifted therefrom, a mixing bowl mounted in said frame for tilting about an axis which extends transversely to the plane of vertical movement of said links and also for rotation about an axis which extends normally to the axis of the tilt, a first driving shaft detachably connected to the power take-off shaft, a second driving shaft mounted in the frame below the bowl and extending parallel to the axis of tilt thereof and perpendicular to the first driving shaft, a bevel gear drive between the first and second driving shaft, and a flexible driving means extending from said second shaft to the bowl for rotating the latter, a, universal joint between said first shaft and said power take-off, whereby said frame may be adjusted to various vertical positions while maintaining a driving tension on said flexible driving means.

WILLIAM O. FROHRING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 886,018 Sellentine Apr. 28, 1908 922,112 Edmondson May 18. 1909 1,314,390 French Aug. 26, 1919 2,397,851 Gaertner Apr. 2, 1946 2,447,071 Huffman Aug. 1'7, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 61,005 Denmark Mar. 2, 1942 

